Planner IV

What You will do

Planner IV is a senior-level contributor leading complex planning activities across product life cycles and scaling product performance through systems, data, and cross-functional influence. Responsibilities include planning, forecasting, analyzing, and evaluating service parts requirements to ensure delivery of right quantities to the right locations on time. The role requires advanced analytical abilities, critical thinking effective communication, and proven leadership to address product planning complexities and achieve successful results.

The ideal candidate has deep demand planning expertise, operates effectively amid ambiguity, possesses strategic vision, and translates business and customer needs into actionable plans. This position shapes planning deliverables, influences cross-functional teams, and drives initiatives to enhance service performance, scalability, and operational efficiency.

Roles & Responsibilities:

• End-to-End Parts Planning: Oversee all aspects of demand forecasting, inventory management, ramp planning, and transition planning for designated products. Own planning deliverables throughout each stage of the product lifecycle, including new product introduction (NPI), transitions, ramp, and end-of-life processes.

• Strategic Planning and Development: Design and implement planning methodologies that reflect overall business goals and service targets. Enhance planning workflows, tools, data models, and visualizations to enable scalable operations. Convert organizational needs into clear, actionable planning tactics.

• Collaboration and Communication: Partner closely with other Operations teams, Service Business Units (SBUs), Business Units (BUs) and Engineering to synchronize planning activities with business priorities. Influence outcomes without formal authority by using data-driven insights, effective communication that frames tradeoffs and aligning incentives.

• Risk Management & Decision Support: Identify and evaluate potential risks in supply, demand, cost, and service performance. Analyze tradeoffs involving availability, cost, and inventory investment to guide decisions. Manage exceptions while delivering clear recommendations to leadership.

• Project Management: Lead funded projects to completion on schedule and within budget, while offering technical guidance to team members.

• Performance Tracking and Improvement: Track product performance, identify improvement opportunities through detailed data analysis, and implement corrective measures to boost efficiency and effectiveness in planning operations.

• Leadership and Development: Offer informal guidance and mentorship to junior planners, encourage adherence to best practices, and nurture a culture focused on continuous improvement and productivity gains.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university in Supply Chain, Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Operations, or Business is required; an MBA is considered an asset.

• At least 8 years of experience with a minimum of 6 years’ experience in inventory management, supply planning, material planning, or demand planning, including KPI definition, measurement, and control.

• Background in the semiconductor industry is a must, with experience in Service Parts, Warranty, or Service Planning experience preferred.

• Exceptional analytical abilities, with a proven track record of developing data-driven solutions and alternatives. Proficiency in data analytics tools such as Tableau, Power BI, SQL is highly desirable. Skilled in interpreting complex data sets to identify trends and issues.

• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with team members, internal stakeholders, and customers.

• Demonstrated problem-solving, critical thinking, and attention to detail.

• Extensive functional knowledge of ERP and supply chain planning systems (e.g., SAP, SPP, Oracle).

• Proven leadership capabilities in managing complex planning projects and initiatives.

• Strong business acumen, with a comprehensive understanding of Applied Materials’ key business drivers.

• Ability to frame ambiguous planning problems and recommend paths forward and drive results through sound judgment and influence.

• Focus on developing mechanisms, systems and processes, not workarounds